As I have got older and partly because of changed circumstances I have found it more difficult to cope with challenges, the distress of others, unexpected disappointments and especially my physical condition and any form of ill health. My reactions tends to be more conservative with a small c and cautious about taking risks.
I set off on bank holiday Monday to investigate the possibility of buying a new car under the government scrappage scheme. My interest was the latest Fiat Panda 1.2 which under the scrappage scheme was £5300 instead of £7300. It took me nearly an hour to find Springfield Motors which I thought was in Gateshead near Saltwell Park. I had bought a sausage and pickle sandwich and pecan twist to eat in the Park after checking out whether Panda would suit my physical size and have the same storage capacity in the rear. It had the same length specifications but not the height. By the time I found the garage I was hungry and had a picnic in the car.
My first mistake was to forget how to get to Saltwell park and the Old Durham Road and I found myself in two cul-de-sac areas after turning left having missed the correct turning and had to reverse tracks in order to take the right road which brought me to one end of the Park and then into the Old Durham Road. At this point I did not know whether to turn left or right. I went left and travelling a couple of miles and then came back and travelled a mile and then returned to where I had started and asked one couple passing by and then again some one attending to their vehicle outside of their house. Neither knew where the garage was but the second got me on to the Durham Road (new). I turned left towards Gateshead centre but what had been a garage a little way further along was closed down and become derelict. I managed to turn the car round and drove for another couple of miles until reaching the next township community and turned round again and this time continued unto Gateshead and as I was on the fly over I saw the show rooms in two buildings off the other side. It was necessary for me to continue to the end of the fly over as I missed the first junction and had to make a major detour through the town centre getting to when I started at the major roundabout leading to South Shields and Sunderland and with the fly over above. A little parallel to the fly over there is a road towards Heworth and then a second into the local community and then the road back up to the fly over. I gambled and took the latter and the showrooms were on the left.
I could not see a Panda in either show room areas but later found a motorbility adapted model which I tried and then an assistant took me to see the standard model, the only one in stock, coloured yellow at the back in a parking lot. I just did not feel comfortable. It was an in between car, taller than the average saloon but significantly less head room. The issue which convinced this was not the car for is that while the rear bench seat folds over with simplicity it is not flush to the boot floor. I then enquired if the ever had second hand Wagon’s available and was told there was one at the far end of the used car section. It took two attempts to find the keys and then the mileage was not showing as a light bulb needed to be replaced. It was said to only have 25000 with the cost £3995 first registered in 2003. This evening when I checked the dealer’s site it was showing for £3445, £500 less and we had talked in terms of trade in for my existing vehicle. Being a later model than my own it had a different dash board system. I liked the interior trim and that the rear seats were easier to lower. However there was what appeared to be rust on the door hinges and on the wheel wing nuts. The dealer’s site gives the mileage at 25000 exact whereas other vehicles have the precise mileage. It is also coloured silver which along with yellow is the least attractive colour although yellow has become fashionable with some young people.
On Wednesday my attention turned to the patio plants and some masonry paint as the outside and garage walls require redoing. Unfortunately there were no plants available at B and Q which I assumed meant they had all been sold over the holiday.
I decided to head for Sunderland going along the coast road, to Seaburn and then would decided to go either to the Sunderland B and Q or a garden centre between Sunderland and Washington which I had used from time to tine when living at Seaburn and which was on the way to Durham Cricket ground. I wanted to see what Wilson’s’ of Whitburn and a couple of other stores in Fulwell had to offer. The original store is as the name suggests is located at Whitburn but parking there, as at the main store now in Sunderland Town Centre makes going for plants a problems As I passed the Whitburn store on the left they had a fine selection of plants so I turned the car around and was able to park close by in a back Lane.
The advantage of the Shields B and Q is that I could buy in stages to ensure I did not over buy but having travelled some six miles I had to guess. The store had three packs of hanging basket plants each with 6 different plants for £3.99 and at a similar price a different set of six for patio containers. I was able to get two more hanging basket packs at the Seaburn store and instead of the three packs for containers which I would use in the handing baskets under cover in the garage above the kitchen widow I bought four in total so now have one over. I also bought some trailing Lobelia and some red and some White Geraniums. This was a significance change from last year when the baskets had overflowed with Trailing Petunias, some white, some yellow and some a mixture with a Geranium in the middle. Last year’s Geraniums had survived the winter after being replanted in pots as the baskets were converted for the use of bulbs.
I then decided to take the plants home but I was almost back when I remembered the paint and when to the Shields B and Q for my second visit. I learnt from a sales assistant that they had a problem with their plants although precisely what was not explained. I was told this after asking the assistant if manufacturers made masonry paint in a light blue shade as they only stocked while, red and magnolia yellow. The Sunderland store had a much wider range. So it was back to Sunderland after all.
There are four aisle of paints and wood and metal treatments and of course I went up and down three before getting to the correct one where there was a fine selection of masonry paint and a wide range of shades but not light blue. In the end after debating and considering and checking the possibility of a gloss, I went for a salmon pink. I also checked out the plants and could not resist some deep blue petunias which I put at the centre of my four main baskets. There was also some spiky red Sylvia which I have used in the three window ledge containers. I have over provided of course and will need to get one or two more containers.
White at B and Q I also investigated something to tackle the flies who enter via the kitchen back door into the garage, and with a hot summer promised, mosquito’s could also become a problem at dusk. There were three options which included an in and out door unit and an indoor unit. There was also a pack of three units which are plugged direct into sockets. All three emit a blue light which attracts the insects onto an electric grid when they are killed and drop into a collecting tray. The final purchase was two packs of light kitchen or garden gloves with 100 either hand use for a modest £2.40 a pack. The Sunderland store also has customer use toilets and a small cafe with a settee and magazine. I resisted the selections of cakes and other snacks but enjoyed a cup of tea. On all purchases I received a 10% discount on Wednesday for being an elder. On return I sorted out the baskets, although having discovered one more basket packet I will replace the container set tomorrow, some time as well as finishing the planting if I can get matching containers.
It was only in the evening that I discovered there is a red Suzuki with 18000 miles available at a dealership across the river and an asking price of £4995. This confirms my queries about the silver model at Springfield’s. I will ring tomorrow to find out if it is still available and not sold over the holiday and if still available go over, after obtaining a copy of my MOT test on the existing vehicle which I cannot find. I must also collect other information once I have decide if I am paying cash or a mixture of cash and credit. In the early hours before going to bed I found the MOT misplaced in a wrong pile of papers. Perhaps this is a good omen
I have enjoyed a home made curry over the past two days, making use of the remaining tined vegetable and roast chicken from Sunday. I had a tin of mild curry for one day and made up the curry with powder on the second. Yesterday at the cricket I took three rolls filled with coleslaw and smoked salmon, and the pecan twist. Today for lunch I made a quick salami and olive omelette. There was melon, a banana and grapes for fruit over the two days.
The less said about the cricket the better. On the journey there, there were three areas of exceptionally dark and low lying cloud which opened up in hail stones or a torrent. Given that the journey is no more than ten to fifteen miles and takes less than getting to Newcastle by private car, I had not expected the cricket ground to have escaped but it had and, more is the pity. Last year this same contest ended in virtual darkness with Durham playing on despite losing wickets in order to win on the formula for such occasions called Duckworth Lewis after the person, persons who devised it. Durham won the toss and decided to bat second which has the merit of knowing the run rate to win, but has risks if the wicket is good and there are no interruptions for rain. Durham‘s bowlers failed to contain Derbyshire who amassed 175 for their six wickets while Durham after losing quick wickets struggled with the run rate and surrendered giving the visitors a handsome victory. Because of the uncertain weather I found myself a seat on the first row of the balcony in the Member’s Lounge where I enjoyed her conversation with Members either side and behind. On arrival I entered the stairs to the first floor Member’s lounge at the same time as five young ladies which I speculated were the dancers. However no dancers emerged and there was no grand entrance or fireworks. Instead there was a competition to sit in a comfortable settee under a fake palm tree just over the boundary rope. However this was on the far side of he ground with the wicket close to the Member’s and sponsors stand and seating. The crowd was better than last year and a lot would have been put off travelling because of the weather. The interesting match will be on Sunday the first held in an afternoon and the weather forecast is presently good.
The Daily Telegraph has commenced to identify model Members of Parliament in relation to their expense claims in relation to the second home allowance including 9 who made no claim at all.
021 Adam Alfriye Conservative salary 64766
022 Geoffrey Robinson Labour 64766
023 Martin Salter Labour 64766
024 Philip Dunne Conservative 64766
025 David Howarth Liberal Democrat 64766
026 Sarah Tether Liberal Democrat Brent East 64766
027 Rob Wilson Conservative Reading East 64766
028 Lynn Featherstone Liberal Democrat
Hornsey and Wood Green 64766
029 Glenda Jackson Labour Highgate
and Hampstead 64766
The following 11 did claim some expenses but are included on the list of goodies re the second home allowance
030 Anne Widdicombe, Conservative Claimed £9000, then £3000 then £404 and £858 a total of £12700in addition to her salary
031 Anne Milton Conservative was not in Parliament until 1005/6 when she claimed 11493 and then 13544 but did not claim for 2007/2008
032 Kelvin Hopkins Labour claim £296, £519,£1256, £1242 less than £3000 in four years
033 Theresa May Conservative O, £4878 £5939 £4288
034 Ed Miliband Labour Energy Minister salary 146866 claimed sum between £7000 and £7500 for three years
035 Alan Williams Labour Swansea East £4521 £6151 £7073 £5221
036 Rob Marris Labour Wolverhampton 10562 9967 11111 11973
037 Richard Benyon Conservative Newbury 5776 1098 and 0
038 Fiona McTaggart Labour Slough 827 3280 1901 3392
039 Gordon Marsden Labour Blackpool 9351 7828 9010 9739
040 Grant Shapps Welwyn Labour NA 2134 3244 7269.
In this first list of those which the Telegraph states are beyond approach regarding the second home allowance there are 7 Conservatives 10 Labour and 3 Liberal Democrat.
In order to maintain a balance between those meriting further investigation. I will continue next the first twenty Conservative There are new types of allegations and further second home allowance allegations in the Telegraph over the weekend and so far this week. The Prime Minister made a media announcement which alarmed me as much as the North Koreans and their nuclear posturing and threats to South Korea. This is a challenge to President Obama as with President Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Now the ball is the court of China.
I set off on bank holiday Monday to investigate the possibility of buying a new car under the government scrappage scheme. My interest was the latest Fiat Panda 1.2 which under the scrappage scheme was £5300 instead of £7300. It took me nearly an hour to find Springfield Motors which I thought was in Gateshead near Saltwell Park. I had bought a sausage and pickle sandwich and pecan twist to eat in the Park after checking out whether Panda would suit my physical size and have the same storage capacity in the rear. It had the same length specifications but not the height. By the time I found the garage I was hungry and had a picnic in the car.
My first mistake was to forget how to get to Saltwell park and the Old Durham Road and I found myself in two cul-de-sac areas after turning left having missed the correct turning and had to reverse tracks in order to take the right road which brought me to one end of the Park and then into the Old Durham Road. At this point I did not know whether to turn left or right. I went left and travelling a couple of miles and then came back and travelled a mile and then returned to where I had started and asked one couple passing by and then again some one attending to their vehicle outside of their house. Neither knew where the garage was but the second got me on to the Durham Road (new). I turned left towards Gateshead centre but what had been a garage a little way further along was closed down and become derelict. I managed to turn the car round and drove for another couple of miles until reaching the next township community and turned round again and this time continued unto Gateshead and as I was on the fly over I saw the show rooms in two buildings off the other side. It was necessary for me to continue to the end of the fly over as I missed the first junction and had to make a major detour through the town centre getting to when I started at the major roundabout leading to South Shields and Sunderland and with the fly over above. A little parallel to the fly over there is a road towards Heworth and then a second into the local community and then the road back up to the fly over. I gambled and took the latter and the showrooms were on the left.
I could not see a Panda in either show room areas but later found a motorbility adapted model which I tried and then an assistant took me to see the standard model, the only one in stock, coloured yellow at the back in a parking lot. I just did not feel comfortable. It was an in between car, taller than the average saloon but significantly less head room. The issue which convinced this was not the car for is that while the rear bench seat folds over with simplicity it is not flush to the boot floor. I then enquired if the ever had second hand Wagon’s available and was told there was one at the far end of the used car section. It took two attempts to find the keys and then the mileage was not showing as a light bulb needed to be replaced. It was said to only have 25000 with the cost £3995 first registered in 2003. This evening when I checked the dealer’s site it was showing for £3445, £500 less and we had talked in terms of trade in for my existing vehicle. Being a later model than my own it had a different dash board system. I liked the interior trim and that the rear seats were easier to lower. However there was what appeared to be rust on the door hinges and on the wheel wing nuts. The dealer’s site gives the mileage at 25000 exact whereas other vehicles have the precise mileage. It is also coloured silver which along with yellow is the least attractive colour although yellow has become fashionable with some young people.
On Wednesday my attention turned to the patio plants and some masonry paint as the outside and garage walls require redoing. Unfortunately there were no plants available at B and Q which I assumed meant they had all been sold over the holiday.
I decided to head for Sunderland going along the coast road, to Seaburn and then would decided to go either to the Sunderland B and Q or a garden centre between Sunderland and Washington which I had used from time to tine when living at Seaburn and which was on the way to Durham Cricket ground. I wanted to see what Wilson’s’ of Whitburn and a couple of other stores in Fulwell had to offer. The original store is as the name suggests is located at Whitburn but parking there, as at the main store now in Sunderland Town Centre makes going for plants a problems As I passed the Whitburn store on the left they had a fine selection of plants so I turned the car around and was able to park close by in a back Lane.
The advantage of the Shields B and Q is that I could buy in stages to ensure I did not over buy but having travelled some six miles I had to guess. The store had three packs of hanging basket plants each with 6 different plants for £3.99 and at a similar price a different set of six for patio containers. I was able to get two more hanging basket packs at the Seaburn store and instead of the three packs for containers which I would use in the handing baskets under cover in the garage above the kitchen widow I bought four in total so now have one over. I also bought some trailing Lobelia and some red and some White Geraniums. This was a significance change from last year when the baskets had overflowed with Trailing Petunias, some white, some yellow and some a mixture with a Geranium in the middle. Last year’s Geraniums had survived the winter after being replanted in pots as the baskets were converted for the use of bulbs.
I then decided to take the plants home but I was almost back when I remembered the paint and when to the Shields B and Q for my second visit. I learnt from a sales assistant that they had a problem with their plants although precisely what was not explained. I was told this after asking the assistant if manufacturers made masonry paint in a light blue shade as they only stocked while, red and magnolia yellow. The Sunderland store had a much wider range. So it was back to Sunderland after all.
There are four aisle of paints and wood and metal treatments and of course I went up and down three before getting to the correct one where there was a fine selection of masonry paint and a wide range of shades but not light blue. In the end after debating and considering and checking the possibility of a gloss, I went for a salmon pink. I also checked out the plants and could not resist some deep blue petunias which I put at the centre of my four main baskets. There was also some spiky red Sylvia which I have used in the three window ledge containers. I have over provided of course and will need to get one or two more containers.
White at B and Q I also investigated something to tackle the flies who enter via the kitchen back door into the garage, and with a hot summer promised, mosquito’s could also become a problem at dusk. There were three options which included an in and out door unit and an indoor unit. There was also a pack of three units which are plugged direct into sockets. All three emit a blue light which attracts the insects onto an electric grid when they are killed and drop into a collecting tray. The final purchase was two packs of light kitchen or garden gloves with 100 either hand use for a modest £2.40 a pack. The Sunderland store also has customer use toilets and a small cafe with a settee and magazine. I resisted the selections of cakes and other snacks but enjoyed a cup of tea. On all purchases I received a 10% discount on Wednesday for being an elder. On return I sorted out the baskets, although having discovered one more basket packet I will replace the container set tomorrow, some time as well as finishing the planting if I can get matching containers.
It was only in the evening that I discovered there is a red Suzuki with 18000 miles available at a dealership across the river and an asking price of £4995. This confirms my queries about the silver model at Springfield’s. I will ring tomorrow to find out if it is still available and not sold over the holiday and if still available go over, after obtaining a copy of my MOT test on the existing vehicle which I cannot find. I must also collect other information once I have decide if I am paying cash or a mixture of cash and credit. In the early hours before going to bed I found the MOT misplaced in a wrong pile of papers. Perhaps this is a good omen
I have enjoyed a home made curry over the past two days, making use of the remaining tined vegetable and roast chicken from Sunday. I had a tin of mild curry for one day and made up the curry with powder on the second. Yesterday at the cricket I took three rolls filled with coleslaw and smoked salmon, and the pecan twist. Today for lunch I made a quick salami and olive omelette. There was melon, a banana and grapes for fruit over the two days.
The less said about the cricket the better. On the journey there, there were three areas of exceptionally dark and low lying cloud which opened up in hail stones or a torrent. Given that the journey is no more than ten to fifteen miles and takes less than getting to Newcastle by private car, I had not expected the cricket ground to have escaped but it had and, more is the pity. Last year this same contest ended in virtual darkness with Durham playing on despite losing wickets in order to win on the formula for such occasions called Duckworth Lewis after the person, persons who devised it. Durham won the toss and decided to bat second which has the merit of knowing the run rate to win, but has risks if the wicket is good and there are no interruptions for rain. Durham‘s bowlers failed to contain Derbyshire who amassed 175 for their six wickets while Durham after losing quick wickets struggled with the run rate and surrendered giving the visitors a handsome victory. Because of the uncertain weather I found myself a seat on the first row of the balcony in the Member’s Lounge where I enjoyed her conversation with Members either side and behind. On arrival I entered the stairs to the first floor Member’s lounge at the same time as five young ladies which I speculated were the dancers. However no dancers emerged and there was no grand entrance or fireworks. Instead there was a competition to sit in a comfortable settee under a fake palm tree just over the boundary rope. However this was on the far side of he ground with the wicket close to the Member’s and sponsors stand and seating. The crowd was better than last year and a lot would have been put off travelling because of the weather. The interesting match will be on Sunday the first held in an afternoon and the weather forecast is presently good.
The Daily Telegraph has commenced to identify model Members of Parliament in relation to their expense claims in relation to the second home allowance including 9 who made no claim at all.
021 Adam Alfriye Conservative salary 64766
022 Geoffrey Robinson Labour 64766
023 Martin Salter Labour 64766
024 Philip Dunne Conservative 64766
025 David Howarth Liberal Democrat 64766
026 Sarah Tether Liberal Democrat Brent East 64766
027 Rob Wilson Conservative Reading East 64766
028 Lynn Featherstone Liberal Democrat
Hornsey and Wood Green 64766
029 Glenda Jackson Labour Highgate
and Hampstead 64766
The following 11 did claim some expenses but are included on the list of goodies re the second home allowance
030 Anne Widdicombe, Conservative Claimed £9000, then £3000 then £404 and £858 a total of £12700in addition to her salary
031 Anne Milton Conservative was not in Parliament until 1005/6 when she claimed 11493 and then 13544 but did not claim for 2007/2008
032 Kelvin Hopkins Labour claim £296, £519,£1256, £1242 less than £3000 in four years
033 Theresa May Conservative O, £4878 £5939 £4288
034 Ed Miliband Labour Energy Minister salary 146866 claimed sum between £7000 and £7500 for three years
035 Alan Williams Labour Swansea East £4521 £6151 £7073 £5221
036 Rob Marris Labour Wolverhampton 10562 9967 11111 11973
037 Richard Benyon Conservative Newbury 5776 1098 and 0
038 Fiona McTaggart Labour Slough 827 3280 1901 3392
039 Gordon Marsden Labour Blackpool 9351 7828 9010 9739
040 Grant Shapps Welwyn Labour NA 2134 3244 7269.
In this first list of those which the Telegraph states are beyond approach regarding the second home allowance there are 7 Conservatives 10 Labour and 3 Liberal Democrat.
In order to maintain a balance between those meriting further investigation. I will continue next the first twenty Conservative There are new types of allegations and further second home allowance allegations in the Telegraph over the weekend and so far this week. The Prime Minister made a media announcement which alarmed me as much as the North Koreans and their nuclear posturing and threats to South Korea. This is a challenge to President Obama as with President Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Now the ball is the court of China.
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